9 Responses to Why Mormons Leave, by Sandra Tanner

psst. ‘shem’ couldn’t have told you why I left Mormonism … according to him my “faith was weak” when I was a member. it was easily shaken by “trivial” matters. yep, such “trivial” matters like how the mormon “church” believes in a false Savior, A Jesus being different than THE TRUE, BIBLICAL JESUS. So “trivial” indeed shem.

I pray that one day, we can get Richard Branson to reserve two seats for you and I on his new Virgin Galactic (Space Ship One) and we could hold hands, discuss our beliefs, and snap photos of the planet Kolob together. I’ll put them on my Facebook page. How fun!

Thank you Aaron for posting this, and thank you Sandra Tanner for putting forward such a clear message.

This blog has had a lot of traffic from ex-Mos (like FIGJAM), and I was curious to see why they left. In watching this video, I couldn’t help but pray for my Mormon friends. I wish I could find some way to get them to open their eyes and put their faith in the real Christ. I have not been able to find a “magic bullet” solution (if ever such a thing existed), but the pattern that emerges is that so many leave as an end result of researching Mormonism. Its a massive indictment on the LDS church, which claims to be presenting its message clearly and openly.

The reasons Sandra Tanner sees for Mormons not leaving are also telling. There seems to be a mixture of being unable to leave family and culture (contra Matt 10:37). Also there’s a habituation to compartmentalizing faith i.e. what’s true in the “real” world doesn’t need to be true of the Restored Gospel or its proponents.

Wow! Does the church vault really have Joseph’s seeing stone? The Catholics and Eastern Orthodox keep the bones of their saints in their vaults, but they get them out for festivals and parade them in front of the world. Why doesn’t the LDS church do the same with its most valuable relic?

If any lurkers out there are considering whether they should commit to Mormonism, I have one word – “bolt”.

Thanks for posting this! I especially appreciated the part about allowing everyone to take his time to fully let go of a belief that so molds his life. Those words gave me great hope for the people I love!

I really liked this. I listen to Sandra Tanner every chance I get. This is superfluous, but I like her manner of speaking and her choice of vocabulary. She has done the heavy lifting over the years and her information is irrefutable because of how she sources it. About the only thing a Mormon can do in response to her presentation is use the tired old testimony tactic.
And that’s the crux of what Sandra is saying. In light of anything that provides solid support for Mormonism, the Mormon dismisses the facts and says, “I have a witness from the Holy Ghost.” Now that sounds impressive to a Mormon and moves them up a few notches on the Mormon social register, but anyone can claim that. The FLDS say it. Jehovah Witnesses say it. It’s just more of the “Shut up God has spoken to me” rhetoric so popular among aberrent religious groups and cults.
There’s a guy who has a little following down in New Mexico who says God told him he’s Jesus come again. He has that witness and his people follow him and the married women have given themselves to him sexually. Must be true, huh? He’s sincere and everything. He’s as believable as the information that comes out of Mormonism; which is to say, “Not”. But he has a witness and a testimony so you have to believe him.

Isn’t suspending reason and critical thinking and turning your life over to some old men in Salt Lake enough reason to leave? What about getting away from sickly-sweet ‘molly mormons’ that have some sugar coated vision of an ideal life, they seem so sweet, but they would stab you in the back when they get the chance.

It starts as an unanswered or an unsatisfactorily answered question that becomes a wearing pebble in your shoe. You start then to doubt. Your eyes start to notice things a little differently over time as you go through the same motions. You feel alone but don't know why. You wonder if anyone else feels that way but you know you can ask anyone. You wonder why you can't ask anyone. You feel empty when you pray and wonder if God cares about you. Your just a woman. Does he love you? You start to notice the caste system. Those who wear the garments, those women who sit alone. You wonder why you are there if you have no husband to go to the temple with. If you are not headed to the celestials you might as well stay home and have coffee. Again, you feel alone. You open the Bible and start reading. You find love there so you keep reading and reading. One morning you open it and the real Jesus gently reaches down and takes hold of your hand and shows you a little of how much he loves you.

(Continued) You realize he really DOES love you and you cry out for help! He says "Follow me" You procrastinate and lie for awhile until you finally realize you must be true to Jesus, and sacrifice your family if that is what it takes, and you resign and risk your marriage and family. That was me. June 2010 I asked that my name be removed. It was my Independence Day. I did it for the Savior who loves me.